Winter Menu Plans {January 13-19}

I feel so accomplished to actually have a menu plan up again! I’ve been winging it the past few weeks. Not a good idea but that’s what happens when your lap top stops working, you transfer your blog and have lots of visitors.

I am filled with lots of excitement and ideas this week. They mostly comes from my wonderful new cookbook Ladled by Kimberly Harris of The Nourishing Gourmet. Most of the soups I have on the menu this week are from her book. I’m reviewing the book this Thursday.

The rest of my inspiration comes from actually getting to the farms I but milk and vegetables from, as well as a trip to the States. I unintentionally ended up at Whole Foods yesterday. What a happy mistake it was. My friend wanted to go to Trader Joe’s but made a wrong turn and we ended up at Whole Foods instead. Because of that I was able to buy some things I have been wanting to get for a long time but can’t find else where.

To my delight I bought 4 lbs of chicken livers, 2 lbs of chicken necks, 5 lbs of beef bones, 1 pound of pork belly, 4 lbs of pork fat to make lard and a few other delights! 100% grass feed beef was on sale! I got 4lbs for $12! That’s less that half the price I was paying at Trader Joes. I’m going to have a lot of fun this week!

Stay tuned for recipes using these forgotten culinary delights! I can’t wait to share them with you1

Many of the meals this week have an asain theme because I was just given large bunch of Thai basil! I’ve been searching for it to no avail until now. I am attempting to replant it indoors. Right now I have 10 stems sitting in water in hopes that they grow roots. We shall see….

Katie Mae Stanley is the writer at Nourishing Simplicity, where the focus is on nourishing foods, herbal remedies, simple living and faith. Ethnic and Mid-west foods are always a favorite in her kitchen and on her blog. She is also the author of the book Steeped: Simple Nourishing Teas and Treats. Katie Mae spent 10 years as a missionary dorm "mama" for a gaggle (almost 40) of amazing deaf girls at a school for the deaf in Baja California, Mexico. Now she finds herself state side ready to embrace God's next adventure. A cup of tea or coffee and a bit of dark chocolate make an appearance at some point in any given day. You can connect with the Nourishing Simplicity community on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.